Confused by Google’s logo today? The Internet search site is honoring Samuel Morse’s birthday, the inventor of Morse Code!

Confused by Google’s logo today? The Internet search site is honoring Samuel Morse’s birthday, the inventor of Morse Code!

Born April 27, 1791 in Massachusetts, he went on to attend Yale University. Morse was first known for being a talented artist, earning much of his money during school from painting. Upon graduation, he spent over twenty years developing his artistic skills and living off of commissions.

It was not until 1832, at the age of 41, did Morse meet Charles Thomas Jackson, an expert on electromagnetism. After spending time with Jackson, Morse developed the idea of the single wire telegraph. However, it took many years for the communication method to be adopted. In 1842, Morse resorted to traveling to Washington, DC to demonstrate for Congressmen by stringing a wire between two rooms in the Capitol and sending messages.

Although Morse Code soon became the standard method of swift long-distance communication, Morse never felt properly recognized by the US government. It was not until 1871, a year before his death, that a statue of Morse was unveiled in New York’s Central Park. And yet his creation is still widely known today, most popularly through the distress signal SOS.

Google often puts up special “Google Doodles” commemorating certain dates. Common holidays such as Valentine’s Day and the Fourth of July get special logos for the day, as do lesser known anniversaries such as Dr. Seuss’ birthday and Teacher’s Day.